In order to give a room a finished appearance it is often completed with a baseboard located at floor level and rising to a height of several inches at the base of the room wall. Conventional baseboards have a wooden construction and are typically installed by a carpenter.
There are drawbacks with conventional wooden baseboards. Firstly, carpenters are expensive and substantial care must be taken to ensure that the paint does not get onto the flooring beneath the baseboard. Furthermore, the baseboard itself is subject to damage and paint chipping and generally requires frequent maintenance.
Conventional wooden baseboards have no function other than their esthetic appeal.